Caray, Caray!

Beautiful, Urban! Simply beautiful! I am mesmerized by this style of writing of yours. :)) Thank you so much!

So much going on in this episode. Fabiola's head must be spinning. There is a part of me that thinks she is an impostor. Do we know for a fact that Amelia really does know Fabiola? Do I also understand correctly from what happened tonight that not only Amelia, but the two girls had also seen Fabiola in the past?

...and, why were they visiting Fabiola?

Pervy Peddy is beyond disgusting. He taints every place he goes.

It is my hope that Padre Anselmo has finally made himself very useful. He had BETTER have that letter safely hidden.

I am also glad JL feels the heebie jeebies around Fabiola! Airhead Montserrat was actually thinking of giving her a copy of the will! Good grief!!

This was beautiful, Urban and the pictures were perfect!!

Fatima
 

Very entertaining recap, Urban Anthropologist.
I loved the captions, too. Yes, fashion sense,could be genetic. lol. Thanks!

Graciela was at her bitchy best with Amelia at the wake and telling Montse that money changed people. She even poked her in the head!

BM was at her unscrupulous best not wanting to discuss the whole Joaquin suicide with Adolfo but just wanting to get on with it and go out to eat. Too bad she and Pedro could not have gotten married in the first place. They would have made the perfect soulless couple.

JL was at his self preserving best asking Montse to leave the wake already and going as far as to say that if she should see him on the street she should just turn around and leave him alone. Had that "walk on by" musical vibe . . .

Tomorrow should be interesting now that BM is on the loose doing Pedro's bidding at the jail. So glad that Padre Anselmo already has the note.

Jarifa
 

Well done Urban A. Thank you for another tour de force, complete with lovely fan and pictures. I must commend you on your screen shots; you caught some amazing expressions. It must have taken you a lot of time for your carefully crafted recap/story and the photos, thank you very much.

You really captured the essence of Maria with "She still wore the bandages on her wrists as any other woman would wear bracelets of gold or a watch." That's a great sentence.
 

Urban:

Thank you so much for this beautifully written recap, that flows like poetry. I missed this capitulo but your words were so crystal clear it was like watching the episode.

I don't like that Ale gave that note to the Padre. I was hoping he would give it to Monse. Thank goodness he was smart and hid that note in a book and didn't keep it on him when they searched the cell and his clothes.

I really liked all your screen shots and the captions you put under them.

I am so glad that JL doesn't trust Fablush. JL can really ferret out the bad guys and I'm so glad for that.

I'm glad ole Peddy is sweating when Capitan Robledo comes back, what with the no proof he has. Peddy is desperate and desperate people make stupid mistakes. I hope Peddy has tripped himself up.

I think BM is capable of killing. She almost killed Monse once, so I think now if it's kill or be killed BM will kill. I think Addled wouldn't be able to. He hasn't the courage and I think he is still riddled with guilt about what happened with Ginny, having taken her off and tied her up and all. Addled is between a rock and a hard place. I wish Nadia knew how much trouble Addled is in.

Thanks again Urban for this most awesome recap.
 

Wonderful recap, Urban, enjoyed every word :)

I felt so bad poor Angelica and then Pedro had the nerve to show his face, jerk.

But what made me mad was Fabiola telling JL that Montse still loved him, seriously? JL has much more restraint than I ever would of had. I would of told her off. But then again I understand, there's a time and a place. sigh

And Graciela and Maria both cold hearted and both are bitches at best.

"She still wore the bandages on her wrists as any other woman would wear bracelets of gold or a watch." I too loved this sentence, described Maria perfectly.

But I am worried, I saw tomorrows previews and I am not liking what I saw. :( Damnit, Padre!
Every time you take one step forward, you're knocked 5 steps back. I saw Maria with the letter. UGH! Why didn't Padre give it to JL? Or at least put it in a pocket so it doesn't get lost?
But question: How did Maria know where the letter was? Something tell me that Ale was the one who told her. WHY? Why would you do a thing like that? WHY? T__T
I don't know about Ale but if that was me, I wouldn't tell her a thing. Maybe it is just me but, how can you trust someone who has tried to kill themselves over you more than once? I don't care if she is your friend. The girl is very unhinged and not all screws and bolts are tightened and in their right place. I don't think I could trust someone like that or at least I wouldn't want to get her involved. *sigh*

Jarifa: I totally agree, Pedro and Maria would have made the perfect couple.

And seeing how remorseful Adolfito was, was a little surprising to me. Didn't think he had it in him. I wonder if this remorseful side of him would could come in handy in some way in future.....or could it bite him in butt. It seems he has enough in him to scheme, cheat and lie his way through things, but when it comes down to drastic measures like kidnapping and murder, he turns yellow, this is the epitome of a coward, thank God Dimitry saw the light. :)

Anywhoo, once again, lovely recap Urban :D

Veronica
 

Thanks, Urban, for this detailed recap, the beautiful fan, and the photos. I was surfing between this show, The Voice , and DWTS.

Gracie with the Madonna costume, Pedro in his sunglasses, and Fabulush in her fedora really stood out like doer thumbs at the funeral.


 

Doer????...make that SORE
 

Such a great recap Urban. Just one of those episodes with not much action, but a lot of maneuvering among the characters with dialog. And most of which I missed last night dealing with text messages and phone calls from kiddies.

Somehow it seemed Maria may have crossed that line, maybe not in actions, but in her thinking that she sees no problem in offing someone if it will get her what she wants. As Adolfo, and maybe even Bazurko, become more hesitant with his demands, she seems ready, willing and able. Not so sure redemption is in the cards for our BSC girl.

Personally would like to thank the writers inserting the logical, and much needed, strip search scene last night. With all these depressing plot lines lately, was nice to throw us ladies a bit of bone. I could hear that collective sigh on the patio as several of us went to that happy place for a few minutes.

Amelia needs to cut the ties to Graceless. What good that "friendship" does her is beyond me. And was that right? She had only talked to Fabs on the phone? If true, that could prove very interesting.

Daisynjay
 

Urban, this was a splendid recap. The screen shots were amazing. As Fatima noted, your writing is mesmerizing.

"venomous commentary", "About as discreet as a banshee" and "She still wore the bandages on her wrists as any other woman would wear bracelets of gold or a watch" were among my favorites.

Maria must be Graciela's child. That she could feel no guilt, no culpability for Joaquin's suicide was chilling. Her icy demeanor and heartlessness were truly evident last night. And, could she murder?? Absolutely.

Veronica, I wasn't surprised that Adolfo was clearly upset. In the midst of some of the most heinous villains imaginable, he is like a juvenile delinquent. Cocky, mean but as shown, not a murderer. I have hopes he will also be redeemed.

Relieved that JL caught Fabiola's grift immediately. Leave it to Gabriela to "drip her poison into her ear"...As if Fab wasn't already slithering, poised to strike as it was...

I do hope that Amelia, Angeliga and Virginia do find out that Joaquin did the right thing before he died. It might be of some consolation, particularly to his daughters.

In the previews, it looked like Maria finds the note. Wouldn't it be in her best interests to use it to get Ale out rather than give it to Pedro? But, who knows where this will lead.

Thanks again UA.

Diana
 

Diana, I wasn't thrilled at those previews either. And I wouldn't put it past Maria to go rogue and use that note to HER advantage first. Perhaps, with that snippet we saw of her remembering Ale's rejection, that she dangle that to him that she'll turn it in if he agrees to leave Monse, or some such nonsense. And our dear, sweet, hunky and naïve/brain dead hero will fall for it. I could just see it now.

Be nice to have Adolfo find out she has it and HE takes it in and saves the day. But we may be too early in the story for that to happen.

Daisynjay
 

Great job, Urban! I was on a call while this was on and watched it in mute mode. It was easy to figure out what was going on because of the great acting and body language, but it's nice to now know what they were saying.

I still don't see any proof that Fab is an imposter. It's clear the Arechigas saw her on their Miami trips. Amelia is lying about how close her relationship is to Fab to throw Gracie off this scent. As it is, Gracie is already super suspicious that Amelia and Ben never mentioned Fab in all these years. I don't think it'll be long before she figures it out.
 

Dear Urban Anthropologist,

Thanks so much for the wonderful recap with lovely description and fantastic screenshots, too. Your care and attention to detail is evident in every line. I was laughing at loud at your screenshots, most especially the one about Gracie and Fabi's shared taste (or not!) in fashion.

Nice to get quick a prison love scene last night!
 

Thanks, guys.

One thing I forgot to mention in our weekend discussion is the writers' frequent failure to demonstrate the passage of time.

Back in the 60s the writers on Dark Shadows kept to the real-world calendar so that the five episodes happened within the course of a week. Novela writers -- despite otherwise excellent work -- frequently fail to give us any real sense of time. I want to see more than one moon phase per series and a slide or two here and there saying "3 dias despues" or whatever it is.

Someone needs to call Maria out on those bandages, which I hope will be manacles at the end of the series.

I did not see any avances, so don't always think they're showing what you think you saw.

If Monserrat isn't smart enough to see Fabiola for the grifter she is and since she still doesn't trust JL, she wasn't the right person to give the note to. And if the guard with the mustache hadn't shown up Padre Anselmo would have been at no risk of being searched.

Alejandro still doesn't know that Maria is now out for revenge over her rejection. His immunity from that has ended and he hasn't been given any reason to know that because he doesn't know what we know.

As to poor Adolfo, killing is vastly different from stealing money. He does have some vestigial conscience left and his line in the sand is somewhere before killing. I can't even see him physically hurting anyone except in self-defense or in defending someone else. If he ever caught Pedro beating Nadia I think he would instinctively defend her. That will be the ultimate test of his conscience.
 

WHY was Amelia and family going to Miami regularly and WHY were they seeing Fabulush?

This part, I do not understand.

Pedro with those goofy sunglasses (really, indoors, Pedro?!)and the black shirt sans tie looked ridiculous. It was a funeral for crying out loud. Is that hard to slip on a tie?

Fatima
 

Fatima- Miami is a popular destination for rich LatAm families for shopping and vacations. Amelia probably just combined the two things-- Fabi visits with Arechiga vacations. She IS Fab's godmother after all. I would hope that she would feel some need to visit her every now and then.
 

Vivi in DC, Holy Cow! I either missed or simply forgot that Amelia was Fabulush' godmother. I figured you would know! So, this makes sense to me now.

This also means that Amelia watched her grow up and would always know what she looked like, correct?

If so, then Fabulush is not an impostor.

Please confirm my line of thinking, Vivi in DC.

Fatima
 

Fatima- I don't see how the imposter angle could work, unless someone switched out a real Fab with fake Fab a really LONG time ago (like when they were kids), or if fake Fab had plastic surgery to make herself look like real Fab. But, anything is possible.
 

Thanks, Vivi in DC. I appreciate it!

Fatima
 

Thanks for the great recap Urban. My dvr stopped recording after 7 minutes into the show but your
narrative and screenshots filled me in, especially Ale's cell search ;-)
I'm really hoping Maria does not get the letter away from Padre. After waiting for so long for one of the good guys to get that letter out of the jail it would be a real set back for it to fall into the wrong hands.
As for Adolfo, I am rooting for him. I don't believe he can be considered a coward for not wanting to kill or kidnap people. He may have wrongly sought ways of making easy money, but refusing to kill under threat of death himself says something about his limits. His conscience clearly is bothering him these past few episodes.
Maricruz
 

UA--Your recap flowed like poetry set to music. I'm definitely part of your "fan" club.

If Fabiola is an imposter, she's very, very good. Literature is repleat with imposters. Remember the Return of Martin Guerre? He learned so much about the impostee that he nearly pulled it off, although the wife preferred him to the original model.

Oh DRAT...The snow is coming down heavily and sticking.

Fab is sowing seeds of confusion. I athought she told JL that she and Montse had become good friends.

Montse, please don't hand the original will documents to Fab & Sand. I'm not sure if the attorney has copies or not. Ale is correct to make her wait, but I'm afraid Fab will weasel them out of trusting Montse if Ale has to stay in prison. Gotta run. More later.


 

Anita- Yes. Fabi could be a natural doppelganger of real Fabi, and just happened to run across her and decided to take over her life. It's happened in fiction plenty of times before, and they have enough remaining episodes of this tn to create a really complex story around Fabi (more complex than it already is).
 

I agree that refusing to kill despite being under a threat does not constitute cowardice. Maria is just trying to goad him.

I have previously theorized that Graceless could have switched her baby with another at the convent; I doubt she was the only young woman hiding there to conceal a pregnancy. Maria could be her real daughter and Fabiola the daughter of another girl who went into confinement (as it was once called when ladies withdrew from society once their pregnancies began to show).

I also think it possible that the current Fabiola could have assumed the real Fabiola's identity at almost any point before Benjamin's death. We don't know how often Amelia saw her in Miami or whether there was a long stretch of time at some point. Virginia didn't recognize her immediately so perhaps she was very young when she last saw her (Virginia is 18, I think). "Fabiola" could have known the real niece and heard a lot about Amelia and her daughters until she assumed her identity. That could have been the result of murder or happenstance; I haven't yet figured out whether she is capable of murder.

What's killing me is there is no mention of social media like Facebook which would certainly be a deterrent to many cases of impersonation.

I loved Le Retour de Martin Guerre! It's a great film and I wish they'd rerelease the DVD in Region 1 blu-ray. What is particularly interesting about that situation is how Bertrande realized that he was an impostor from the get-go by that he was much better in bed than the man he was impersonating.
 

Thanks again for yet another stellar recap, UA. Very well done. I also wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of Adolfo.

Madelaine, you said about Adolfo's ability to commit murder:

"I think Addled wouldn't be able to. He hasn't the courage..."

and Veronica, you said:

"...but when it comes down to drastic measures like kidnapping and murder, he turns yellow, this is the epitome of a coward..."

Adolfo has already demonstrated a huge measure of courage in risking his life by not killing someone. I would never refer to the unwillingness to take a life as lack of courage or cowardice. As for kidnapping, Adolfo has already participated in that by the abduction of Ginnie.

Thanks to Fabs for stirring the pot a bit by telling JL that Montse still loves him. That should be good for a few extra episodes.

I was riveted by María's countenance as it went from incredible tenderness to a frightening coldness as she told Adolfo the story about the calf. Yikes! And then... "I'm hungry." Double yikes!

By the way UA, you said about Fabs:

"The woman claiming to be that daughter then entered the room behind her."

She hasn't claimed to be Gaby's daughter... yet.

And then about María:

"She had prepared some
seafood."

Actually, she was wanting Adolfo to take her out for some seafood... María doesn't cook.

Carlos
 

OK, Carlos, thanks for the correction on the food topics. I didn't catch the word in Maria's story about Juventino slaughtering before her eyes.

As to the "claim" I meant that the Miamian claims she is Fabiola. Someone previously pointed out that she didn't know she was adopted, which would not be normal in the US. Since adults not knowing they're adopted has happened in novelas before I dismissed that, but it would definitely be a clue to her imposture to not know such a thing since the US-raised original niece (whether she is Graceless' daughter or not) would have been told she was adopted before she was 9.
 

I'm convinced that Fabs is Gracy's daughter and I'm also convinced that Gracy thinks that her daughter died or why else give her to Macarario to dispose of?

Carlos
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Since Fab's parents died when she was young, who would have told her that she was adopted? (Plus, it's not mandated by law in the US that people tell kids they were adopted. It can often be obvious because the kids are of a different race.) Fab seemed genuinely shocked and hurt to learn about being adopted. Why would an imposter have such a visceral reaction to that kind of news?
 

Graceless could be convinced she handed a dead infant to Macario, possibly because she wanted to believe it was dead. She seems very good at convincing herself of anything she wants to believe, including that anyone's obedience or loyalty can be bought with money.

She would probably make a good hitwoman herself and -- in the manner of a true narcissist -- can't conceive of anyone else not thinking or feeling the same way. If she thought little Lauro's death could benefit her she would kill him; remember that Carlota wouldn't leave him alone with her. Carlota probably knows Graceless better than anyone else alive at this moment.

This also plays into the original fairy-tale atmosphere I wrote for the opening chapter. It's a modern version of Snow White where the Evil Queen (Graceless) hands the young girl to a huntsman (Macario) to kill, which he cannot do. Macario could not bury a living infant, so he handed her to a lady (Amelia) who promised to find parents for her and to keep the secret so the child would be safe in a distant land (the US).

Of course, telenovela coincidence and irony take over here as they do in classic myths and Fabiola (or someone impersonating her) comes in to help bring Evil Queen Graceless down, although that is not her original motive for coming to Aguazul.
 

Deleted the earlier version of my 11:40AM post for a correction and further clarification.

Vivi, I know that informing adoptees isn't mandated by law in the US but it has been conventional wisdom to do so for at least a generation. Since Fabiola is the same age as Alejandro who said a few capitulos ago he is 34 and there was a line of dialogue somewhere that the accident that killed Anastasia and her husband was 25 years ago, that made their daughter 9 years old at the time. Most adopted kids in the US know by that age.

If Amelia saw her at any time since the death of Anastasia and her husband, she could have told her. However, she might not have on the assumption that she already knew.

The question that remains to be answered with certainty is whether Amelia actually told Benjamin that the baby she handed him was Graceless' baby that he donated the sperm for. Had she done so one would have expected him to bring her to the ranch after her parents' death. Perhaps not immediately, but when she hit adulthood. However, he didn't. As to why not:

1. He never thought she was his daughter (assuming that Amelia never told him)

2. He didn't care because he just had no feelings for any human being (notice my omission of the word "other")

3. He didn't value her because she was a girl

4. Possibly her inheritance could only be claimed once she married (on the assumption that a female couldn't run a ranch).

What we don't know (because maybe the writers hadn't decided yet) is why he told his lawyer not to inform her of his death and why he stopped the monthly stipend. Since Benjamin appeared to be in control of his mental faculties up till the end he had some reason for this that made sense to him at the time. We have to find out what that was.

One possible theory is that he somehow found out that "Fabiola" is an impostor. That she was not the baby he handed over to his sister.
 

Perhaps if Fabi's adoption were a normal adoption (from strangers) then it would have been brought up to her. But, since she was her uncle's secret love/lust child, by a married woman who wanted her dead, that conversation would have opened up a whole can of worms that her parents, Ben, and Amelia never wanted to open. I can see why they never told her.

As for Ben writing her out of his will last minute, stopping her allowance, and not wanting her informed of his death, the dude was a murderous, sadistic, rapist. Nothing he did surprises me. Forsaking his daughter is the least of his crimes.
 

Your scenario assumes not only that he was told she was his blood, but also that he told his sister. Based on the photo his sister was not the same kind of person he was (which raises other intriguing questions) so he might not have told her this backstory.

However, whether her did or not, the adoption could have been covered up the same way Gerardo of LFdD covered up custody of Alex.
 

I would still like to see the twist be that Maria is Graceless' daughter. As much as I don't like Fabs at this point, once in awhile she gives off a better vibe of maybe becoming a better person if given half a chance. Maria, sorry is just hopeless. I saw more "call of the blood" as if watching a mirror reflcting the same personality when she and Graceless came face to face.

The good sisters could have, as has been pointed out, given the wrong baby to Jerkwad's sister if they had two babies to give up for adoption. If we even remotely get a plot line started, or an accident happen with Fabs, that will be our set up for a possible big DNA/blood test reveal.

Daisynjay
 

Thank you very much for your recap, Urban. I always appreciate the craft and care that goes into your work. Your choice of screen shots add a great deal to the reader's pleasure. Well done!
 

There is already discussion of a blood test designed to show that Alejandro is an impostor. Pedro and Sandro are behind that plot.

It would take significant bribery to create two false sets of test results, but there are also the existing results showing blood connexions to Alejandro: Baby Lauro (a proper test) and the hair of the missing baby girl who would be his half-sister (questionable results). Graceless is unlikely to come forward with any truthful information about that hair because she could be arrested for infanticide (she thinks). Attempted infanticide could be the proper charge if Macario talks (which we know he's likely to).

That's a scandal to rock Aguazul no matter whom that hair came from. I'd also prefer it to be Maria because that would be such a huge slap to Graceless' efforts at appearing to be a lady.

Thanks, NovelaMaven/ This episode absolutely demanded those screen shots!
 

Maybe I dreamed this, but I thought that when Benny stopped sending regular support payments to Fabs and then wrote her out of his will, that he gave her a lump sum payment which she has already squandered. I think that it was either Benny's lawyer or Amelia who said this... or perhaps it came from the same source from which I learned that Adolfo is Fina's cousin.

Carlos
 

This is from EJ’s recap of epi 82. Ben knew who Fab was, and he made a decision to keep her a secret from Gracie and far away from her. It’s not explicity clear that his sister knew the whole truth about the baby’s origins. But I’m pretty sure that since her brother brought the baby all the way to the States and gave her to her, she must have assumed the baby was HIS kid.

“Don Benjamin took the baby to the United States,” Amalia said by way of explanation. Benjamin left the baby with his sister and her husband and asked them to care for the baby girl as if she was their own daughter…It was very hard for her to get pregnant and you can only imagine her happiness when her brother brought her this little baby to raise, Amalia told Marcario…“Now the story becomes very sad. Don Benjamin’s sister and her husband died in a terrible car accident. After this, Don Benjamin picked the little girl up and left her in a boarding school. That is where she grew up. Poor thing…Don Benjamin did not want Graciela to know that the baby was still alive. Imagine, Macario! She wanted to kill the girl! The child was a hindrance to her. Graciela did not want Admiral Mendoza to know that she had a double life with Benjamin Almonte before she married him…”Does Padre Anselmo know?” “No, he thinks the baby died and it must stay that way. Now, she is here and she doesn’t know anything either. She does not know that the man she called ‘Uncle’ her whole life is her FATHER.” Macario thinks that, with respect to Amalia, the girl should be told the truth. But Amalia looks extremely upset and she gesticulates wildly. “No, Macario!” The only reason that she told Macario the secret is that she has been holding it in her chest for so long.
 

I don't remember hearing about a lump sum payment but I do remember that the lawyer was told not to inform her of Benjamin's death or Alejandro of her existence. He was also bound by confidentiality to not explain the reasons upon discovery. This is why her arrival comes as a complete surprise.

Pedro appears not to have been aware of any of this either until these two grifters drifted in from Miami, which means that Benjamin played everything close to the vest.

One thing we can be sure of is that Benjamin had to have known about her drinking for some time as she has been in and out of rehab for several years. The bills would probably have been paid through the lawyer's office, but he would have been aware of them.

As to Daisy's comment about her redeemability, I tend to think she isn't redeemable. I don't think she is a killer personally but she might not have much of a conscience about it if it happened at someone else's hand when she was miles away and had an iron-clad alibi.

Her alcoholism could easily be her undoing long before we have to worry about that.

Vivi, we don't know what Ben told his sister. Since his sister so desperately wanted a child I doubt she asked many questions at all. If there was any family resemblance she might have concluded that the child was his, but we don't know (and probably won't find out) if she ever asked him about it.

I wonder whether Benjamin was planning to ruin Graceless at some point down the road with a revelation. Was this why he didn't want Fabiola told of his death and the real reason he changed his will?
 

Carlos:

"Maybe I dreamed this, but I thought that when Benny stopped sending regular support payments to Fabs and then wrote her out of his will, that he gave her a lump sum payment which she has already squandered. "

I think I remember the conversation you are referring to. Lic. Cervera said (to Alejandro, I think) that Ben had been very generous to Fabiola over the years -- you could say he gave her her fair share of the inheritance during his lifetime.

I don't recall a "lump sum," being mentioned, only that the "mensualidades" and other support over the years had added up to a substantial sum of money. In other words, neither Ben nor Cervera thought that Alejandro owed Fabiola anything at this point.
 

UA...Wow. You just keep upping the ante lady. Fabulous screen shots and witty captions, in addition to a gracefully written recap.

Don't quite understand why Fabiola comes on to every man she meets. Guess it's the skank gene she inherited from Graciela, along with the unfortunate fashion gene. José Luis looked like he wanted to swat her off like a mosquito.

Maria's story of the calf reminded me a little of one of my mother's stories. She had befriended a little lamb on their farm and when the wagon came to carry little fellow off to slaughter, she ran behind it for a mile, weeping her eyes out. Her sorrow was brushed off her tough Irish dad as "that's how it is on a farm, topsy. Get used to it." And she did, I guess. We often had lamb chops for dinner. Me...I couldn't eat either lamb or veal after I had my children. Just. Could. Not.
 

My maternal grandmother kept poultry. My mother was told "don't make pets of them!" from when she was a small child. She couldn't wait to move to a city when she grew older.
 

Thanks Mads. Appreciate the kind words re: the lists and thanks for the shout out.

I tuned into the end of last night’s ep and had to FF to the avances, (since the end had Maria in it). The avances made me angry. When do the good guys get a break in this TN?!!!

Now on to the recap--which I know is going to be as awesome as the fan UA chose--and comments.

Nanette

 

Here's a legal question I don't think anyone's raised yet:

If any of Alejandro's inheritance was built with income from illegal activities, can it be confiscated even if he had no role in amassing it? This same question now affects the Arichega women as well.
 

Urban,

I haven't finished reading the recap or comments, but I wanted to thank you in advance. I know I will enjoy it when I have time to read it. I have run out of time and have to go to work. And I might not have an internet connection at work. Boo! So I might not get to finish this until late tonight. Anyway, thanks amiga!

Off to work...hasta pronto!
 

Loved the recap UA.

Here's hoping the avances are another fake out.
 

JudyB said "Don't quite understand why Fabiola comes on to every man she meets." Being at a bit of a disadvantage because I don't get to actually SEE Fab's skankiness at work, the first answer that pops into my mind is: Fabiola wants to be wanted, at any level. Sounds like in her whole life nobody has wanted her for herself. Of course she shares the blame with her poor decisions, substance abuse, grifting and general skanky ho-ness. Still...I think am with those who feel Fabs might be redeemable. For now anyway.
 

Thanks, UA! Reading your recaps always makes me feel upscale and literary.

I love how not-so-Fab seems to consider herself a hot young thing, and all the youngish men seem to instinctively recoil in her presence. Their body language is so "don't want any of that!"

Graceless and Pedroach could give villain school master classes in tacky and inappropriate funeral behavior.

I was thrilled that Alejandro had managed to hide the note before he was strip searched! Now I'm wondering where Padre Anselmo put it that the guard didn't find it. And how is Maria going to get her hands on it? I hope Ale isn't stupid enough to actually tell her about it and where she can find it.
 

JudyB and Sylvia:

Fabiola tries to seduce and manipulate anyone she can. Her greatest successes so far have been María and Virginia, both emotionally needy and susceptible to flattery.

I see Fabiola as being disposed of about two-thirds of the way through the novela, whether on the road to redemption or not.* (Unfortunately, Graciela and María (and Pedro too) have top billing and will undoubtedly make it to últimos capítulos.)

*In contrast to the illustrious Carlos, NovelaMaven is always wrong, so don't take this comment too seriously.
 

NM, that's why hanging out on the patio is such a hoot, we never know what's going to happen and it's fun to speculate. These writers have at times been completely predictable as well as throwing us some curve balls, so I'm not sure how it's all going to fall out. There are a few characters who are goners for sure, just waitin' for those anvils. For me Maria has stepped over that line, too. Her conversation with Adolfo in last night's episode sounded rife with symbolism that she's fine with killing someone. Then there are the characters who are still on the fence, like Adolfo who is teetering.
 

So true about María, Sylvia. If they get cable in hell, then surely Juventino was cheering her on last night.
 

If they get cable in heaven, I hope Maria's parents are enjoying some Veronica Mars marathons and not seeing the nasty witch their daughter has become.
 

And if they get cable in purgatory, Joaquín must be wishing he'd backed a smarter horse.
 

Pedro and the sunglasses,,,the future'a so bright, he's got to wear shades. I wonder if we will ever see our beloved Dances with Sunglasses in this novela wearing shades. It would be a nice wink to viewerville similar to the annual novela cellphone toss that SS usually does.
 

I keep thinking about PedrHO's words to Gracie when he kept Dim out of jail for Bruno's murder..."You will owe me." Or something like that. PedrHO is not a guy you want to be indebted to. What will he ask Gracie to do ?
 

Judyb....why does Fabulush come on to every guy she meets ? Well, don't we all know chicks like that in real life ? I know a few. ...and they don't wear fedoras.
 

Urban - To quote Fatima, your writing mesmerizes me. Terrific recap and photo/captions.

Glad everybody feels JL was onto Fabiola, cause I wasn't too sure last night. She was certainly telling him what he'd like to believe, but Urban's last photo nailed his distrust.

I'm in the Fab's no impostor club. She looked sincerely hurt when she found out she was adopted.

Loved Angie getting Pedro kicked out. Plus, the sunshades were disrespectful. The voters of Aguazul must be nuts. Would love to see who ran against Pedro for office.
 

Judyb...I am with you about not eating lamb or veal...They are babies !!!! have you ever seen those awful little doghouses the calves are kept in ? Creepy.

I had a friend in high school who raised a black angus steer for 4H every year. She named it and fed and took care of it. Then, she showed it at the county fair and sold it.....life in the farm.
 

JudyB and Susanlynn: Main reason I'm vegan, the animal cruelty.
 

On the legal issue, ownerships and accounts will be frozen, primarily that which is in the person's name, but lately I've seen where even those accounts or properties put into a spouse's name may be frozen as well. (Madoff). Until the guilty verdict, residence can be maintained by family, etc. but they may not have access to their bank accounts. So living expenses can be precarious. We had a case very recently here in Ohio. The accused was free on bail on bribery and the whole family stayed in his huge house ( partially paid for by kick-back). They couldn't sell or take loans on the property since it nwas frozen, Once he was found guilty, government seized the property.

Not sure if Mexico would have the same laws. The women folks don't seem to be trying to save on wardrobe, salon visits or servants yet.

Daisynjay
 

Interesting speculation NM, that Fabiola won't make it all the way through. The actress looks like she's having a lot of fun playing the no-good skank role. Didn't really watch Amor Bravio but had the impression in that one she was a squeaky clean noble character, no?
 

Judy- Yes. Totally noble in AB. That's why it was so frustrating because the heroine (and most of the audience) couldn't hate her, and the hero felt like a total heel rejecting her. Now she gets to be bad and flawed and she's having fun with it. And we get to have fun hating her (and not feeling guilty about it). :)
 

On Pobres, the main character was accused of fraud and since all the family's money and property was in his name, they were kicked out of their houses and the accounts were all frozen so none of them have any money to live on.
 

Was I the only one mesmerized by María's rather intricate hairstyle? I thought it was very attractive.

Carlos
 

Contrary to most of the commenters, I got the feeling that JL halfway believed Fab's drivel about Montse still being in love with him. Anyway, he was keeping up with his charade about keeping Montse mad at him, but then he shouldn't have mentioned that it was hard having her near because he still loved her.

What she did tell Fab is that there would always be a place for JL in her heart because he was the first, but now she's IN love with her husband.

Disynjay--I think when Amelia said she had only talked to Fab on the phone, she meant recently, as in when Fab announced she was coming for a visit.

A slight misstep from the writers, but necessary to keep the story moving forward is the fact that "orphanages" or "internados" were basically disbanded in the US in favor of aggressive foster care progams and group homes. If Amelia was truly her godmother (and nothing is shown to the contrary), wouldn't she have felt a bit guilty leaving this child to grow up in an internado? I would have believed the story more if she had been in foster care until she was 18. It would have been interesting to know where she met Dances with Loud Jackets, Sandho.

As for the Fab timeline--It has been stated several times that her parents were killed in a car crash when she was 3 years old, not 9. Ale could have been born years before and being raised by his granddad. I don't think their age difference is important. It's the age difference between Fab and Dimmy. At 28 or so, that puts it closer into the realm of when she was born. It had to have been before Gracie married Lauro and two years before Dimmy was born. (According to Carlota, that is, he was born two years after G & L were married.)

I thought Ben had written her out of the will and that the checks would stop if and when he died was when he found out she was a drunk and squandering what she did have. Only he or Amelia would have known what she was like at that point.

If the prison guards were looking for a note, it seems they weren't very thorough with Montse and Mama Rosario. A pat down just won't do it. As for Ale, they could have made him go through the motions of taking his skivvies off without showing us. When he left them on and the guard told him to get dressed, I did a QQW?

 

Carlos- Maria was sporting a fishtail braid: http://www.wikihow.com/Fishtail-Braid
 

Maria's hair also had a tiny braid right along the part, in addition to the fishtail braid. I was fascinated. She may do nothing else in life, but she certainly has some hairstyling skills!
 

The age comparison between Fabiola and Alejandro is important:

If Fabiola is Graceless' daughter she has to be the same age as Alejandro, who told the prison official he is 34. Graceless made the decision to marry Lauro before knowing that Benjamin had knocked her up. In the flashback Benjamin freaked at her over the phone when she told him she was going to marry Admiral Mendoza; we didn't hear her end of the conversation. Five minutes later he raped Rosario.

We can assume that Graceless' and Lauro's wedding was about a year later. Dimitrio was 28 in the opening episode. A year and a half has passed since then, which would make Alejandro about four years older than Dimitrio. That fits.

What doesn't fit is the 3-year-old Fabiola becoming an orphan. There was another conversation that put the accident 25 years earlier. Somebody screwed up here.
 

Anita- I get a more thorough pat down by TSA every time I fly, than Monse and Rosario got from the prison guards actually looking for something. The TSA ladies always make sure to check under my girls. Who knows what I could be hiding under there?! ;-)

As for the ages of Fab, Ale and Dim-- there seems to be a continuity error that the writers made. When we saw the flashback of Rosie's rape (and Ale's conception), it was right around the time Gracie had decided to marry Lauro. That was either right before, during or right after her convent stay. Meaning Fabi was already in the womb, or had just been born. She should be around the same age, even a bit older than Ale. Him stating that he's 34 is what makes no sense. I think the writers made a mistake there.

We know Dim is not yet 30, but almost there, based on previous conversations about his age within his family, and most recently with Robledo as Dim is almost at the age cut off to join up. That makes total sense with the timeline we've been given. Ale should only be 30-31, as should Fabi.
 

Except there was a year and a half between the opening episode and Fabiola's arrival in Aguazul. There were a few months between the opening episode and Alejandro's and Monserrat's wedding. I don't think she became pregnant on the bad wedding night but the time thereafter, which would have been some weeks later. Their baby wasn't born yesterday, either.

Hence my gripe about how writers aren't careful enough about how the time is passing in a story.
 

Vivi and Julia, I think I like that hairstyle almost as much as I liked her little leather headband in CME, which I think we all admired.

Carlos
 

Ok, I'm willing to blame it on continuity and not my faulty memory. Yes, indeed, Fab & Ale should be almost the same age, within a year or so and she would be older by a few months at least.

How could I not remember the flashback and the phone call and the assault!
 

Not all of us , Carlos.
 

I did not admire that headband. I admired the actress's fortitude in wearing it for so many months. I wore one like that for less than two hours while I watched the finale, and it was extremely irritating.
 

I don't know why Ale would doubt Josefina's ability to transform a man. He should have vague hazy memories of a past life in which she turned his arrogant jerk of an archenemy into dreamboat Rolu.
 

Uhm, I think Carlos was just pulling our leg about the CME headband. He knows there was only a fan club of one for that headband...ok, maybe a fan club of three, all named Carlos-- our Dr. Carlos, Carlos the character played by Carlos de la Mota, and Carlos Moreno the producer of CME. :)
 

Maybe the style should be named a Carlos band.
 

So....will people understand when we ask "How do you like my Carlos?".......no?...just us then.
 

Julia, Susanlynn, and Vivi,

Heh heh... but seriously isn't this new hairstyle extremely gorgeous?

Julia, I think that Verónica/Ximena/Josefina may very well possess that undefinable something that men she sets out to conquer simply can't resist. They ultimately submit and transform. Poor Adolfo was almost collateral damage.

It reminds me of that song...

"Whatever Lola wants... Lola gets... and little man... Lola wants you."

Carlos
 

Pheromones.
 

How did that sangrón Sandro and that borracha a medias Fabiola end up in cahoots?

In the advances she was sloshing to Sandro how she was going to marry JL.

If you are planning to scam someone big-time, one would think that the last thing you would want is a comadre in crime who is always juiced.
 

Urban:

Thank you for the screen shots and the recap. I so appreciate the time and care you take with your recaps.

I am late to the party today, lo siento, but don't think I missed too much when I recapped episode 82—but mistakes are made.

As all of you have remarked, there is a continuity problem here with the ages of Ale and Fabiola. At one point is was said that Fabi was three years old when her parents were killed in the dreadful car accident in the US. Remember? We wondered what 'boarding school' would take a three year old child.

But I also agree that she should be about Ale's age which was just put the other day as '34'. That also begs the question of whether poor Rosario spent 30 or 32-33 years in prison for a crime she did not commit.

Fabi LOOKS like she is closer to Ale's age than Dimitrio's. I would not be surprised to find out that in real like they are roughly the same age.

I actually thought that JL had Fabi's number when she spoke to him at the funeral.

Thanks again, Urban! I really appreciate your work.

EJ
 

EJ- You captured everything perfectly in your episode 82 recap. It's the writers who have forgotten what they wrote in previous episodes.
 

The question of Adolfo's character. is a good one.

He seems so weak and lazy to me that he could be forced into doing just about anything. I know he has avoided killing anyone so far but it seems that each week he slips a little farther to the dark side.

Bless you Carlos—your Maria would be a hard one to redeem at this point. One of the stupidest plot points in
the story is the idea that Maria would cooperate with Pedro with the ultimate goal of seeing Ale dead broke and in jail for life, just to keep him away from Montserrat. How does that really benefit Maria?

In that case, Maria would still be poor and alone with the occasional visit to Ale in the carcel. As Novela Maven would say, 'Snort'.

While she doesn't seem greedy, Maria did not seem to mind having gifts and clothes showered upon her by a self-absorbed Alejandro. Now she lives in a nice house with Addled. What would happen if Ale lost the Hacienda, his town house and everything else? Whet would she do? She has no skills with which to earn a living.

EJ

 

Thanks, Vivi, for the reassurance. I try to be accurate when I recap but stuff slips by sometimes.

We speculated a while ago that the show plot might really go off the rails in this long extension without Caridad Bravo Adams' storyline to guide the writers.

The writing already seems more sloppy to me. Am I crazy?

What do you guys think?

EJ
 

EJ...My mother would have described Maria's actions as "cutting off your nose to spite your face." I suppose that because Ale has spurned her and fallen hopelessly in love with his wife, Maria is ready to feed him to the wolves. Sometimes people are willing to hurt themselves in order to hurt others.
 

I agree. Amor Real stayed on the storyline and had fewer episodes. This version is going to have to wander around in circles for quite a while because there are so many episodes to fill. Boo.
 

Well, as I indicated in my first comment today, I agree more with Anita that JL believed Fabs when she told him that although Montserrat loves Alejandro, she still loves him as well, which emboldened him to say to Montserrat after she told him that just being near him made her sick:

"You also make me sick... but from love."

I see no way that this guy will ever give up hope of ultimately ending up with his first and one true love.

Carlos
 

Carlos: just as long as he holds off until Angie is gone.

P.S. I liked Matie's headbands. I thought they suited her character.
 

Susanlynn,

"I suppose that because Ale has spurned her and fallen hopelessly in love with his wife, Maria is ready to feed him to the wolves."

I think that María is convinced that Montserrat married Alejandro for his money and if Alejandro were stripped of his fortune that she would drop him in a heartbeat but I agree with Elna June:

"One of the stupidest plot points in the story is the idea that Maria would cooperate with Pedro with the ultimate goal of seeing Ale dead broke and in jail for life..."

Dead broke? Maybe... but in jail for life? Nopis.

Carlos
 

Thanks Nanette. So did I.

Carlos
 

In jail for life because she can't have him is what that is all about. If she can't have him then being locked up in prison means Monse can't either.
 

I just cannot understand JL and Malria because I cannot understand folks who just keep clinging to someone long after the person has proven that they do not want to be with you. Why would you want someone who does not want you ?

Wow..that Jl is quite a sweet talker..."You make me sick, too...sick with love for you." Eww and Ick.
 

OT: Vivi, help. What was the name of that historical novela you said just started?
 

Nanette- It's Lado a Lado.